Grantham court: Car boot jeans had drugs in pocket, claim

Court news

A man who claimed class A drugs were in his pockets because he had bought his jeans in a car boot sale, also faced charges of assaulting a policewoman, being drunk and disorderly, failing to provide and shoplifting.

Benjamin Noddings, 34, of Skells Court, Stamford was found in possession of 0.44g of heroin and 0.37g of crack cocaine at Grantham police station on October 17 last year.

This was after his arrest for being drunk and disorderly in Station Road, Grantham, during which he spat in the face of a policewoman.

Prosecutor Tracey Ross also outlined three shop thefts committed by Noddings, the first on June 22 when he was caught on CCTV stealing £254.86 worth of items, predominately razor blades, from Wilkinson’s on Stamford High Street.

Then on October 14 Noddings stole perfume valued at £29.99 from Boots in Stamford, and on the same day attempted to take clothing from Sports Direct in Grantham by placing it in a pink bag, which he dropped while being chased after he activated the alarm.

In addition Noddings pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen of breath on June 23, to failing to surrender to police bail on November 3, while his offences also put him in breach of a 18 month conditional discharge imposed for theft on December 30, 2013.

Rob Arthur, defending, explained that the spate of crimes occured when Noddings was having issues with his ex-partner over contact with their child.

Mr Arthur said: “This sent him back into a downward spiral in relation to alcohol and drug misuse”, and added that all these offences were committed when his client was ‘in a state of intoxication’, and many of them he could not remember.

With the failure to provide, Mr Arthur highlighted that the defendant had not actually been driving at the time, but was falsely led to believe that his brother, the driver, had a licence. As Noddings appeared to be drunk and unable to supervise, he was expected to provide a specimen, but did not comply.

Since these offences Noddings has made progress on a methadone prescription with Addaction, and after resolving contact arrangements with his child he no longer uses alcohol and drugs as ‘a coping mechanism’ added Mr Arthur.

Taking into account his breached conditional discharge, magistrates sentenced Noddings to a community order to complete 150 hours of unpaid work with 12 months supervision from probation.

He was also ordered to pay a total of £284.85 compensation, £85 prosecution costs and a £60 victim surcharge, and disqualified from driving for 36 months.